I have 2 printers connected to my computer: 

1: A Brother HL-10h Laser that uses LPT1 and works with both Windows
and DOS, and

2: An Epson Photo 810 Inkjet that uses the USB port and only works
with Windows.

I would like to output a DOS program to the Epson but entering: dir >
epusb1 (for example) only creates a file.

I recognise that the answer may be 'No' which will be acceptable if
it's said loud enough and is accompanied by some ceremonial fist
banging.

Hello, 

The answer to this is maybe.  Generally speaking you can't print from
a DOS application to a USB printer because it just won't know how to
send to USB.  However, you can try using a little utility called
DOSPrint which can be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/DOSPrint/

This will let you print a DOS *file*, though I don't believe it gives
you the capability to treat your USB printer as though it were
connected to an LPT port, i.e. just print straight from your
application.  And it requires that you run your application from a DOS
window, rather than allowing you to just boot to DOS and print from
there.

Most applications will let you output your data to a file, so that
shouldn't pose a really big problem.  If your DOS app won't let you do
that though, you might try running lpt2disk which, like the name
suggests, allows you to capture the output to an LPT port from any DOS
app and send it to a file.  You could then print this with DOSPrint. 
You can find that, and a few other port redirecting utilities here:
http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/49038.html

Sorry this solution may prove a bit convoluted, but printing to USB
from DOS is just not something that was ever really supposed to
happen.

I hope this works for you.  Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that
this will work perfectly, and you are probably going to be limited to
text/ASCII output, since graphic output from DOS would require a
driver for your printer in the DOS application you're running.

Search strategies: windows printer print from dos, capture dos lpt to
a file

Hi, Hibiscus

At least you've given me some hope. 

Many thanks, I'll try your suggestions and see.

Kindest regards

Bryan

you could also try 'sharing' the printer, then using the command:

net use lpt1: \\yourcomputername\yourprintersharename

no guarantees though :)

Hi, Legolas

Many thanks for the suggestion. 

I'll try that, too.

Regards

Bryan